Combination water tank and truck body



June 21, 1949. Q..coLQUlT-r OMBINATION WATER TANK AND TRUCK BODY 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 27, 1946 JHHWIHIV IIN Aum

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COMBINIATION WATER TANK AND TRUCK BODY I Filed Aug. 27, 1946 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 00a.c CoLQU/Tr.

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ATTO/Q/VEX Patented June 21, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COMBINATION Wllltgg'ANK AND TR'UoK Odie Colqutt, Denver, Colo., .assignerV to Patents, Inc., Denver, Colo., a corporation of Colorado Application August Z7, 1946,"Se1ial No. 693,355 2 Claims. (Cl. 28B-5) This invention relates to a combination water tank and platform truck. In certain industries, more particularly in the oil Well drilling art, it is usually necessary to transport both the tools and equipment and the industrial and potable water to the job by truck. This requires separate water tank trucks and cargo trucks.

The principal object of this invention is to combine in a single truck both of these utilities without interference with the capacity and portability of either.

Other objects of the invention are to sc construct the tank portion of the truck that splashing and surging of the water will be eliminated, and so that strains and stresses from the truck chassis due to uneven road conditions will not be transferred to the tank structure.

A further object of the invention is to so construct the truck that the usual cargo deck or platform will be replaced by a water carrying tank without interference with the loading and unloading procedures and without increasing the size or height of the vehicle.

Other objects and advantages reside in the detail construction of the invention, which is designed for simplicity, economy, and efllciency. These vwill become more apparent from the following description. p

In the following detailed description of the invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof. Like numerals refer to like parts in all views of the draw'- ing and throughout the description.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the body portion of the improved combination tank and cargo carrying truck, partially broken away to show the interior construction;

Fig. 2 is a side view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a rear view thereof;

Fig. 4. is a longitudinal section, taken on the line 6 4, Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a cross-section, taken on the line 5-5, Fig. 2.

Conventional parts of an automotive truck are indicated by numeral on the drawing `as follows: chassis I0, chassis spring 40, rear wheels II, rear axle housing I2, and cab I3. In the conventional truck a plurality of longitudinal a-nd lateral beams are mounted on the chassis I to support a cargo deck. These beams and deck are replaced by the present invention.

The invention is applied to a chassis I0 by placing a side plate I4 on each side thereof and by placing a stiffening cross strut I 5 between the side membersthereof adjacent the rear. A` pair of spring brackets I6 are formed or secured on cach of the side plates I4 to support a leaf spring I'I thereonthrough the medium of suitable spring shackles I8 l The .body portion of the invention comprises a lrelatively flat horizontal platform or ,deck plate I9 supported from a bottom plate 20 upon a plurality lof, longitudinally` extending partition plates 2'I and a plurality of cross partition `plates 22. The partition plates 2| and 22 are provided with suitable intercommunicating `openings 23 and are welded or otherwise secured to both the deck plate I9 and the ybottom plate 20 to prevent vertical separation thereof.

The entire periphery of the space between the plates I9 and 20 is enclosed and sealed by vedge plates-24 which are welded along their top edges to the deck plate I9 and along theirrbotto'm edges to the bottom plate 20 to form a fluid-tight 'enclosure or tank between the `plates I9 and 2,0. This enclosure is used as a water storage tank, an intake and discharge pipe25l being provided.

In the oil well industry water tanks are lled from W'ater holes, lakes, creeks, and rivers, especially during Wild cattng" oprations. The filling',` is accomplished by connecting the tank with the intake manifold of the truck engine `so that during the trip to the water hole the air will be' evacuated from the tank. Upon arrival at the water hole the lling hose is immersed in the water and the valve opened to allow the atmospheric pressure to force the Water into the tank.

The abovelllng procedure forms no part of the present' invention. It is desired to call attention to it, however, to show that the tank is at times subjected to external atmospheric pressure against a partial vacuum therein which might result in collapsing the tank. This is prevented in the present invention by the closelyspaced longitudinally and transversely extending partitions 2| and '22 which rigidly maintain the two plates `I9 and 20 separated. The partitions also serve other purposes in that they provide a substantial support for the deck plate I9 so that it may in turn support relatively heavy loads and they act as baflies to prevent surging of the water in the tank.

The deck plate is mainly intended, in the present invention, to hold drill pipe and drilling tools. The drill pipe is held in place on the platform plate by means of removable stakes 26. The stakes are insertable in receiving tubes 2'I a1- ranged in alignment throughout the area of the deck, as shown in Fig. 1. The tubes 21 pass entirely through both plates i9 and 29 and are Welded or otherwise sealed thereto so as not to interfere with the hermetic seal of the tank and to provide additional stiffness thereto.

Each of the stakes 26 carries an integral ange 28 intermediate its extremities Which limits its insertion into the tubes 27.

The plate I9 supports at its forward extremity an auxiliary fuel tank 29, provided with a filling pump 39, for carrying auxiliary fuel for the truck engine. A tool chest 3| is provided-at each side of the tank 29. The chests are accessible through hinged lids 32. The bottom plate 29 is indented upwardly, as shown at 33,`to provide clearance i.

for rear wheels Il.

A spring rest member 34 is secured adjacent each side of the bottom plate 20 near its forward extremity. The rest members 34 are bolted to the springs Il by means of suitable U-bolts 35 to resiliently support the forward extremity of the tank.

A shelf member 3B is secured to each side of the chassis l0 adjacent the rear extremity thereof and at the extremities of the cross strut l5.

Each of the shelf members supports a pile of resilient rubber cushions 31. The tank bottom 29 is provided with supporting feet 38, one of which rests on each of the piles of rubber cushions 3l. A tie bolt 39 connects the members 36 and 38 and holds the cushions 3l in place.

It will be seen from the above that the tank is resiliently supported on the chassis il), the forward support being provided by the leaf sprin-gs I1 and the rearward support by the piles of rubber cushions 3l. The cushions'l provide pivots to allow relative movement of the forward portion of the tank on the springs Il. This four-point resilient support allows the chassis I to twist,

turn, and tilt without placing any stresses on the tank structure.

It is desired to call attention to the fact that a relatively large water carrying capacity has been provided without increasing the size, weight or height of the truck. The space utilized is ordinarily occupied by longitudinally extending beams supporting a plurality of cross beams which in turn support a heavy platform or deck. All of this has been eliminated in the present invention and the space normally occupied thereb-y is replaced by the flat self-sustaining tank which, due to its unitary welded construction provides greater cargo carrying capacity than the former cargo body.

While a specic form of the improvement has jecting outwardly from each of said side plates;

' arched upwardly; a spring rest secured to each side of said tank adjacent the forward extremity thereof, each spring rest being secured to the mid-portion of one of said springs; and cushion means supporting the rear of said tank from said chassis.v

2. Means for mounting a tank on an automotive chassis comprising: a vertical side plate secured to each side of the forward portion of said chassis and extending therebelow; a pair of spaced-apart spring brackets secured to and projecting outwardly from each of said side plates; a leaf spring secured to and extending between each pair of brackets, said leaf springs being arched upwardly; a spring rest secured to each side of said tank adjacent the forward extremity thereof, each springrest .being secured to the md-portion of one of said springs; a shelf meml ber projecting outwardly from each side of the rear portion of said chassis; a foot on said tank over each of said shelves; a tie bolt extending from each foot through each of said bracket members; and a pile of resilient members surrounding each bolt and acting as cushioned supportsl for said tank.

ODIE COLQUITT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,400,345 Bile Dec. 13, 1921 1,594,233 Zoelly July 27, `1926 2,937,024 Holby Apr. 14, 1936 2,119,772 Buchanan June 7, 1938 2,162,367 Buchanan June 13, 1939 2,395,039 Crosby Feb. 19, 1946 

